Skincare Toxins to Know & Avoid We are swimming in chemicals, many that are known to negatively effect our bodies. So much so that now a newborn baby born in North America has over 100 known or suspected toxins already in his body at birth. Many of these chemicals can cause profound and lasting effect…Read More

Violets are Blue 1 (CI42090) If you are Cuban, and old enough to read this, you have smelled like “Violetas.” You were doused in it from the moment that you came from the hospital, wearing red booties to ward off the “evil eye.” The only time you weren’t smelling of violets, is when you were…Read More

Formaldehyde Formaldehyde is a smelly, colourless, flammable gas classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the IARC. It is known to cause cancer in humans and animals. It can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and trigger asthma. Formaldehyde emissions generally decrease over time (i.e. off-gas), but it can take seven years just to reach…Read More

Is your water bottle killing you? First, came the news about the toxic baby bottles and, then, Nalgene and Camelbak and all of my once favorite sports bottle companies phased out their polycarbonate lines (all the while denying their products have anything wrong with them). Then, everyone came out with BPA-free plastics. And, while researching…Read More

Tips and resources for healthier and more environmentally responsible birth control, sex toys, and lubricants. There are number of things that can be done to green-up sex itself. From using products such as condoms and lubricants that are healthy on the body, not made of estrogen-releasing plastics, and are gentle on the environment to avoiding birth control that routinely exposes your body and our waterways to persistent doses of estrogen.

‘Tis the season. The lights of Hanukkah will soon fade into the past and the lights of Christmas are on the horizon. Parents everywhere are thinking about gifts. It is one of the questions I am most asked: “How do I green celebrations?” The winter holidays are a test for most of us: wanting to please our children, wanting to have more money, wanting less stuff, wanting to please our relatives.

Summer is here in the northern hemisphere! Chicago had its first string of hot days – the lakefront path is crowded, kids are playing in the water and the air smells of sunscreen and B.B.Q’s. With the sun shining down and the urge to take off all but my bottom layers, comes the inevitable question – Should I put on sunscreen today or not?

It was a gift. The perfect little blue and white bottle of “Gentle! For Bebe!” baby shampoo in its foam pump bottle. I used it on my baby for two years before I thought to check if it was safe. It was French, I thought, it certainly wouldn’t contain known carcinogens, neurotoxins, and allergens. But, it did.

Start counting now. How many personal care (or beauty products) have you used already today?

Toys have become a nightmare for many parents: 80% of the toys in this country are made in China and the toy recalls have shown how very little oversight ever goes into toys imported into this country.

THE CHEMICALS IN PLASTICS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY Bisphenol A (BPA) mimics the hormone estrogen and may interfere with ovulation and reproduction as well as brain-cell development.

Where do you find it: BPA is a plasticizer that is found in (and leaches out of) products such as polycarbonate water bottles, baby bottles, canned soups, beans, and other foods as well as softdrinks. Nearly all can liners contain BPA. Regular use, such as